Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | March 10, 2025 — The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) demands the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate student at Columbia University, a green card holder and the spouse of an American citizen, who is now facing unlawful and unjust deportation for his participation in a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest.
Mr. Khalil was arrested inside the university-owned residence by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This follows statements by President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio threatening students with arrest and deportation for participating in peaceful protests. This action is not only a direct attack on Mr. Khalil and his family but an assault on the First Amendment rights of all Americans. The Trump administration has repeatedly spoken about free speech and its central role in our society, yet this administration is now targeting individuals without due process for their political speech.
The U.S. State Department’s employment of the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act to cancel the visas of students labeled as “pro-Hamas” highlights a severe misuse of a McCarthy-era law that initially targeted Eastern European Jewish Holocaust survivors. Historically recognized for its antisemitic and xenophobic underpinnings, this law is now being weaponized to silence and punish students for their political views and activism, specifically those advocating for Palestinian rights.
The public is outraged by this direct targeting and abuse of government power against students practicing their First Amendment rights. We want to be clear that this is not an isolated incident but a pattern we are witnessing across U.S. academic institutions, signaling a troubling revival of McCarthyism. Such actions undermine the principles of free expression and academic freedom by using fear and retribution to enforce ideological conformity and silence dissent. We reiterate that the United States must uphold its founding principles of liberty and justice. If this abuse of power is left unchecked, it will soon spread to other lawful permanent residents and even US citizens, as it did during the shameful McCarthy-era period, which remains a dark stain on our history to this day.
MPAC demands the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil and calls on the State Department to cease the discriminatory revocation of visas under the pretense of combating antisemitism. We also call on university administrators across the U.S. to stand up and protect their students.
We must stand against these divisive tactics and advocate for a society that values liberty and dialogue over discrimination and silencing dissent. We urge supporters to contact their representatives and advocate for legislative reforms that protect the rights of all students and activists, particularly those from marginalized and targeted communities, to speak and assemble freely without fear of retribution.
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